Chapter 29: Chapter 29

~ ROWAN

“Girlfriend?” Aria’s voice filtered into my mind. “Please tell me you didn’t tell Nyssa that you have a girlfriend.”

It took me a second to realize what she was talking about it, and when I did, the corner of my lips quirked up in an amused grin.

It seemed the little wolf had gotten my map.

As I scribbled onto the century old map, I knew I was being downright childish, but I couldn’t resist.

“I didn’t tell her anything,” I told Aria simply. “She made an assumption and I didn’t correct her.”

I could picture my sister rolling her eyes. “If your aim is to push her away, then you’re doing a fucking good job at it. If I wasn’t your sister, I’d throw a chair at you.”

“You’re my sister and you have thrown a chair at me.”

“Maybe I need to throw another one so it’ll hit you right in the fucking head! If you’re going to keep her, then fucking do it. If not, then leave her alone.”

“And let her go back to Henry?”

“Of what concern is it to you?” she snapped. “She seems like a good person, Rowan. Don’t hurt her.”

That my own sister thought I was capable of hurting my mate was a show of how much of a monster I truly was.

Aria knew me better than anyone on this damn planet, and if there was anyone I thought would never have reason to say that to me… it was her.

“I love you, Aria, but stay the hell out of my business.”

She began to speak but I severed the mind link and slammed my walls down hard.

This entire deal was a fucking mistake. I should have never met with them, I should have done what Aria said from the beginning and sent both her and Henry away when they first arrived.

I should never have agreed to her deal, but I was so caught up in getting back at Henry and satisfying my own selfish desires that I didn’t think of the long term effects.

I’d never be able to give her the life that she deserved, not with the past looming behind us, but I couldn’t let her go. She was fucking intoxicating and for now, just having her around was enough, even if it meant that I had to make her fucking hate me.

I called up Jeremiah immediately. The last time I called him, it was after Nyssa was stabbed. I was barely coherent when I did, but I’d warned him that if she were to die, I’d sever his spine from his body myself.

In the years that I’d known him and worked with him, I’d never threatened him… not until then.

The call rang twice before connecting. “Your Majesty-”

“Is there any update on the rogues? Have you been able to determine anything about them?”

“No, but it’s not for lack of trying. The Alpha is being very evasive and vague. Sometimes I wonder if he actually wants our help. He refuses to give us any information he has-”

“Perhaps he doesn’t have any.”

“I sincerely doubt that. From the information we gathered, these attacks started over six months ago. He’s being difficult.”

“Then remind him that he has a duty to his pack and I have a duty to the kingdom. If I find him incapable of ruling I will be forced to step in.”

There was nothing Henry hated more than being undermined, and the idea of me taking his pack would send him in to a fucking frenzy, but it would spur him into giving up the information.

The quicker we found out about the rogues, the quicker we’d be able to kill those fucking pests—

“The quicker she’ll leave,” my lycan asked. “Or did you forget that?”

I gritted my teeth in annoyance. “This has nothing to do with her.”

“Doesn’t it? You didn’t care about the rogues, not until they tried to kill her. I’m inside your head. I know your motivations.”

“You’re also fucking deluded,” I snapped. “She’s not leaving just because the rogues are dead. Our deal exceeds that.”

“But there’s no timeline. She can choose to leave right after these two weeks elapse. Considering how you’ve been to her, I wouldn’t blame her.”

I cursed when I realized he was right.

I was too eager to agree that I didn’t properly think about the terms of our agreement.

I glanced at the contract that lay on my table. I was meant to give it to her today to sign, making our deal legally binding.

An idea popped into my head as I reached for it. If I could edit a clause, compelling her to go on with the deal for at least six months, it would give me more time to decide what I wanted to do about it.

It was immoral, but I didn’t get to be King by making moral decisions

Nyssa and Aria spent the entire day in town… not that I was having them watched or anything.

By the time they retuned, the sun was beginning to set and their voices and laughter echoed through the hallway.

It was surprising to see them at ease with each other. Whatever happened while they were out had formed some sort of bond between them.

Something inside of me warmed at the sight of her in my palace, with my sister. I could almost convince myself that she was meant to be here… with me.

I paused the thought out of my mind and made my way over to her. Her smile fell as she noticed me but I tried not to dwell too much on it as I handed her the contract. “Sign.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “What is this?”

“A written legal binding of our contract, to ensure that you don’t back our later. After all, your people are known for their deceptive qualities.” Aria glared at me, but I ignored her, eyes trained on my mate. “Are you going to sign it or not, Nyssa Fang? My men are slaving away in your pack. I can call them back-”

She snatched the pen out of my hand and scribbled her signature on the last page before shoving the contract into my chest.

Her fingers brushed against my bare skin and a shot of electricity ran through me.

“There’s your fucking contract,” she snapped, storming off.

As I watched her retreating figure, I couldn’t help but smirk. She had no idea what she’d just done.

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